Sinner's Fate
by Miss Atropine
Summary: Eleanor Lovett has unintentionally made a deal with the devil, but what price must she pay? Madness is a given. Violence is relatively expected. But, fighting off demons? Well that's just plain ridiculous.A blossoming, and extremely sardonic Sweenett... [An alternate universe with a couple of strange twists]
1. Prologue

**Prologue| Illusions of Grandeur**

 _'If you keep knocking on the Devil's door, sooner or later, he's going to invite you in.'_

It all started with the searing flames in his near-scarlet eyes. They were burning with fervour, every flicker fuelled by adamant loathing.

She'd seen him mask such roaring rage, even when the two of them had been _spinning, twirling, spiralling_ in the dilapidated descent of the bake-house.

She'd felt such blissful contentment, despite knowing his sudden gleeful grin was a simple trick of his snide persona. His acting was irrelevant, because it had been all she'd needed...

To know that he'd finally stared back at her in that moment, _acknowledging_ her presence with his maddening eyes...

It had truly sent a warm shiver through her.

His hands supported her firmly as they danced, and she adored how he guided them both around the place at an enthusiastic pace. His close proximity was something that she'd waited for, for far, _far_ too long. He seemed so determined, driving her over the blood-soaked cobbles with enough brute force to push her over.

In truth, she'd seen her own demise long before they'd whirled further and further towards that dreadful oven door.

As soon as he'd laid eyes on the corpse of his late wife...

She'd known that her time was up then and there.

But her acceptance of her fate was long forgotten when she'd been thrown to the gnashing flames, and she unleashed a screech of imminent despair, one that was from the deepest trenches of her charred lungs. It was such an unholy scream that not even her murderer could stand it - so he slammed the door on her, those callous burning coals giving her once last accusing stare. He couldn't _bear_ the sight of her.

Once he snapped the oven's latch shut, he made no delay in leaving her to burn to cinders. His eyes disappeared from view and she yelled even louder, like she still thought he could hear her cries. As the fire ate away at her, she could feel her love for him twisting and turning, and it stabbed right through the middle of her heart... she was suddenly _infuriated_ with him.

Thick, swirling smoke was all she breathed in and flashes of simmering fire invaded her vision, both mental and physical pain engulfing her completely. She could feel herself slipping away, and she squeezed her eyes shut, pushing out one last pitiful cry as her life played out beneath her eyelids...

As the eager flames lapped at the structure of her body, she felt restlessly _remorseful._ Her last regret, was of course, that she'd confessed her love for him too _late._

Dry tears sliced down her singed cheeks and she wept sorrowfully...

It was then, that the _unfathomable_ occurred.

Her pain quickly subsided, and she frowned with confusion. She still felt the heat from the flames, but it was no longer hurting her...

Not a second had passed, when she screamed out in terror as what felt like a clawed _hand_ clutched around the remnants of her neck. It pulled her backwards into the seemingly _endless_ oven, and she squeezed her eyes shut firmer, shouting out in fear. It was like an invisible force had its clutches around her, fierce and unrelenting... dragging her further and further into the fiery depths of the place that she was _adamant_ she was destined for...

Dizziness suddenly shadowed over her and she felt herself jolting to a stop... another yelp frantically escaped her as she felt herself falling backwards. Her high-pitched shriek cut out when she felt her spine colliding with something _impossibly_ soft. She forcibly let out an exhausted _"uff!"_ as a consequence of the contact.

She laid for a moment, frowning in confusion. The remainder of the singing pain which had been administered by her eager oven, was still briefly present. Her body felt frail and ever so brittle, but she mustered some energy to move her right arm.

To her surprise, she managed to swipe her hand further to the right, sending minuscule damp particles scattering away from her. She let out a little whimper of bewilderment and winced, not wishing to move from the spot she had collapsed in.

But she was _desperate_ to know where she was. And more importantly, desperate to know what the _hell_ had _happened._

She carefully pushed out her left arm too, and more particles of sand dispersed around her. She inhaled sharply, and she instantly noticed how fresh the air was... the scents around her were near _fantastical._ The recognisable smell of salt from serene waves was the first thing that struck her, and from that alone, it was clear where she was...

She reluctantly cracked open her tired eyes, and immediately, light flooded her vision as she gazed up into a sky of crisp _blue._ There was hardly a cloud up there to ruin the moment, and she let out a gasp of shock.

She laid there like an enthusiastic lunatic, beaming an enormous grin as she stared up at the picturesque sky. The sight of it was _exactly_ as she'd dreamed - wide, bright, full of vibrant life...

It seemed that all her experience of the dreaded bake-house in Fleet Street had left her mind. The sight of her dreams becoming a reality seemed to shift her thought-patterns to the point where she started to overwrite all of the pain she'd just felt.

Still sky-gazing, she soon became hypnotised by the brilliant blue plastered above her. After that, it was as if her ears had finally turned the volume on because she started to hear the sounds of waves washing up against a shoreline. Her eyebrows knitted as she inhaled sharply with excitement, a film of tears forming over her brown eyes.

The sound of giggles and scuffles of feet against sand told her that there was likely children playing somewhere nearby. Her heart quenched with happiness - she was finally somewhere that she'd always wanted to be.

As happy tears trickled down her cheeks, a dark figure invaded her perfect view of the azure sky. At first she frowned with annoyance, but then she let out an astonished gasp.

 _"Nell?"_

It was _Mr Todd,_ wearing a look of confusion as he gazed down at her.

 _"What are you doin' down there?"_

Her eyes widened at his appearance - his pallid skin seemed to gleam beneath the light of the sun, and his black eyes were strangely softer than normal. His black hair had been combed back neatly... she wasn't sure that she even _liked_ his locks tamed now that she looked up at him. As she trailed her eyes further down his body... even his _clothes_ seemed different.

He was wearing his usual shirt, waistcoat and neck-ties, but he looked somewhat _formal_ with the suit-jacket clinging to his person. He looked ridiculously smart, and so undeniably _handsome._

 _"M-Mr T?!"_ she managed to push out, nearly fainting when he leaned down closer to her and slid his arms around her waist without a single hesitation. She whimpered when he lifted her up with ease, her eyes widening as a sudden dizziness came over her. Her legs shook as the bare soles of her feet came to rest on the warm cushion of golden sand, which caused her to let out a small sigh of relief. His hands didn't move from the sides of her abdomen, and her whole body trembled due to his firm hold on her.

"You look pale, are you alright?" he asked, bringing one of his hands up to stroke her cheek. She immediately flinched at his contact like he'd struck her, shaking her head.

 _"W-Wot's goin' on?!"_ she yelled, attempting to pull herself away from him. He winced like what she'd said hurt him, and he used both hands around her waist to pull her into him, forcing her into a hug.

"You tripped and fell, is all. Must've 'it your 'ead."

She squeezed her eyes shut and clung onto him for dear life, her mind attempting to come up with a plausible solution to what was happening.

 _'Tripped? On sand? Summin's not right 'ere.'_ she thought to herself, luckily her true discomfort and distrust of the man embracing her didn't reach her features. He moved one of his hands to stroke her back, hushing her, and she swore she heard him whisper reassurances beneath his breath.

"Where am I?" she asked in a small voice, not daring to yell out again - she was afraid that she'd lose her sanity if she did. She needed to keep a firm grip on the situation by going along with everything until she worked out what was actually going on.

 _"Where you've always been."_ Sweeney replied quietly, backing away from her slightly so that he could give her a look of concern. _"Here, with me."_

She desperately searched his face for any cracks of amusement - but there wasn't a smirk in sight. It appeared that he was deadly _serious._ She gulped as he brought a hand up her face, cradling her chin in his palm.

His frown deepened when he noticed her expression of confused fear.

"This _is_ what you want, isn't it?" he asked, his voice straining from some kind of _hope._ Her eyes grew even wider - why on _Earth_ was he showing _emotion?!_ And why was he content about holding her? Why had he embraced her in an attempt to comfort her? Why didn't she know how she'd gotten there? _Why had she been brought here?_

The questions endlessly whirled around poor Eleanor Lovett's head until her watery eyes glazed over. She was literally _dumbstruck_ due to all of the information she was sifting through.

"I don't know..." she eventually murmured, closing her eyes as her head hung lazily - her body was beginning to give up. Given the fact she'd only just been through an back-less oven, that was no surprise. Not that she could recall such a thing, of course.

Perhaps she never would.

Her muscles reluctantly reacted to her wishes and she lifted her head up, tilting her face to the side so she could view her surroundings a bit more.

The cream sand glowed beneath the glorious rays of sunshine, it was almost bright enough to be _disorientating_. Flicking her eyes away because of how blinding it was, she now settled her eyes on the rolling waves. The waves were an unbelievable shade of turquoise, the sun causing the tide to glimmer invitingly. A few small figures twirled across to invade her view of the sea - it was the couple of young children, they must have been the ones that she'd previously heard - they were now lining the shore, splashing about joyously as the rippled waves sunk into the sand.

"So beautiful 'ere." she whispered, her features taking on that dreamy expression she would often wear without even realising.

"It is, isn't it?" Sweeney replied in an almost teasing tone, crossing his hands over his stomach as he stood stiffly in front of her, his black eyes boring into her. "You can do anythin' you want here, you know. You're free to do as you wish."

She turned to face him and winced at his words, her brain unable to comprehend what he was insinuating. There was so much to take in all at once.

 _"Just try to understand, Nell. I know it's hard but... please, do it for me."_

Her eyes faltered and she swallowed nervously as he gently took hold of her wrists to pull her closer again. His breaths puffed out over her lips and she suddenly felt extremely intoxicated, pleasantly obsessed with how he was caressing her with his entire being.

"You wish to return, don't you?" he breathed, the bridge of his nose brushing against hers. His hands slid up her arms and then down the sides of her torso, only pausing once they reached her waist.

She frowned at him in confusion, her brown eyes searching his vacant ones - he seemed to be brimming with confidence due to his rhetoric tone, and she swallowed back her annoyance. What was he on about? Return _where?_

The way he was brushing up against her clouded her judgement and she lost all curious irritation, too drunk by the sight and feel of him.

She noticed that he was motionless, staring back at her with those hypnotising obsidian eyes, very much awaiting an _answer._

She reluctantly nodded in response, still adorning a furrowed brow of bewilderment, but it soon fell as his hands began to tighten their hold on her. He leaned forwards, his eyelids drooping down to hood his impossibly black eyes. Her breath shortened as his mouth grew closer to hers, her eyes wide with amazement.

The moment his lips pressed upon hers, she relaxed against him, her eyes falling shut as she blindly kissed him back.

Eleanor Lovett had unknowingly and willingly, accepted an offer. Because it was heavily disguised and alluring coming out of Mr Todd's mouth, she hadn't even realised what she'd committed herself to.

Their kiss grew deeper and she started to feel dizzy with giddiness, her heart pounding frantically. She brought her hands up and tugged on the lapels of his waistcoat - she didn't want the kiss to end. She only wanted him to kiss her harder and harder, so long as he never left her.

As their lips eventually parted ways, she searched his eyes for an explanation for his actions...

... and was _horrified_ when his eyes glowed a tainted _crimson,_ a smirk dancing upon his lips as he pushed out a breathless whisper...

 _"Be careful what you wish for."_

* * *

 **A/N So I've just posted this first chapter so far, I've actually got loads more chapters in the works so I'll post them once they're all finished. Anyone interested so far? This fic is definitely going to be a lot weirder than usual, but it's just going to be something I can write as a break from Esteemed. I'm having so much fun writing for an AU at the moment so there may be a few more uploads for this coming your way. Would love to know your thoughts! Thanks for reading :)**


	2. Her Secret Friend

**01|Her Secret Friend**

The timeline in Eleanor's Limbo seemed to span quite a number of years. Whilst she felt that she'd only been there for half-an-hour, she had in fact been there for _one-hundred-and-seventy years._ With the sight of Sweeney Todd's wickedly crimson eyes haunting her memory, she felt herself _transcending_ \- her soul was suddenly snatched forwards, and her body was dragged along with it, propelling her into a swirling void of complete darkness...

Like a switch had been flicked, her memories of the night she died surged through her brain. Memories of dancing beneath the oven-light, of her heart pounding in hope, of his black eyes stabbing into her, of him shoving her into the flames with such _rage..._

She felt herself being engulfed by a dense, cold smoke which suffocated her. It skewed her around until it ended up blinding her completely. From the atmosphere morphing around her, she could tell she was heading somewhere foreign, somewhere _unknown._

Her time had come, it seemed.

 _ **2016**_

She shrieked out in terror like she'd just woken up from a nightmare, her breath catching in her throat. She began to choke from fearful shock and the pitch-black soon vanished as she gained control of her senses to lift her heavy eyelids. Her coughing caused her to jolt herself wide awake, her lungs suddenly feeling like they had been filled with an itchy substance.

She sat bolt upright, her brown eyes as wide as saucers as she coughed some more, airy clouds of grey powder shooting out of her mouth. She winced when her spluttering calmed down, curiously studying a white sheet that was covering her nude form.

It was then that she began to _panic._

Everything looked vastly advanced and near _alien_ to her, it was like she had been transported to another _dimension._

The place looked sickeningly _sterile_ with its immaculate stainless-steel surfaces and air-tight cabinets. But to poor Eleanor Lovett, the gleam of such things reminded her of a certain barber's _razor,_ and all she could do was tremble with fear.

As her breathing scraped up her throat and out through her dry mouth, her eyes continued exploring the room. There were metallic tables that didn't have an ounce of dust on them, small tables that had glass lids to preserve jagged implements that were stashed beneath - the sight of such instruments forced her to squeeze her eyes shut for a second.

She actually chastised herself for doing such a thing. Considering that she'd previously torn up dead bodies for a living, her reaction _was_ rather out of place.

But of course, nothing made sense to her. That's what she _truly_ found frightening.

She sat there like an alert desert creature, trying to determine the direction of danger in the dim light. Her ears pricked up at the sound of faint dripping, and her heart pounded intensely when her eyes couldn't find any leaky tap to explain what she was hearing. Once she'd heard one noise, it seemed like more layers were being added to the chorus of ambience. There was a faint buzzing - its source was incomprehensible to her, but it was likely to be the electrical whirring of a computer's fan. Everything was muffled too, like she had been in an environment of high pressure.

She sat up straighter, clutching the impossibly white cotton sheet to her body, brown eyes bloodshot from nervousness. A frown emerged on her brow as she dipped her head downwards to sniff the cloth clinging to her - it reeked of what she recognised to be _ink._ She coughed again, wincing as she pushed one of her legs sideways.

She then managed to swivel herself around so that her legs hung across the side of the table she was on, darting her eyes backwards to see what it was exactly that she had been lying upon. It was a completely transparent surface - but she was sure it was _lit up_ somehow because it was subtly glowing white.

Shaking her head to drag herself out of her amazement, she lightly pushed herself from the examination table, her two bare feet smacking against cold tiles as they landed on the ground. She hoisted up the sheet and wrapped it around herself, using one of the corners so that it could be tucked beneath her armpit securely. She shyly headed towards a door-frame not too far from where she was stood, shivering as she pushed through some plastic drapes.

Although she was anxiously fascinated with her otherworldly clinical surroundings, she focused on immediately scanning the place for something - _anything_ \- that was related to _her,_ and more importantly, _how_ she'd gotten there.

She tried to mask her breathing as she traipsed around the laboratory in case anyone was there. After all, the place was eerily vacant and she could have been in _danger_ for all she knew. She was already dying to get out of there, she was far too on _edge_ for her liking.

It was a shame that it wasn't obvious where the exit was.

Now taking in the room a bit more, she almost jumped out of her skin when she saw an exact reflection of the room she was stood in. Apparently the place had an _entire wall_ that was a _mirror_ \- at least, that's what she gathered.

She quickly rounded some intricate-looking equipment attached to an operating table - at least, she _supposed_ that was what it was from the speckles of blood-stains, or she _hoped_ so for her own sake...

However, she was too amazed by her own reflection to carry on worrying about the table behind her now.

She'd expected to see a pile of _ash_ at _most..._ yet there she was, very much _herself._ Her skin was brilliantly pale as ever, the dark circles around her eyes lingering enough to accentuate her soft brown irises. She pressed one of her palms to the mirror glass, knitting her eyebrows together as she studied her straw-like strands of auburn hair which hung loosely across her shoulders.

She was the _same._

The same enticing baker that she always had been.

She took her hand away from the mirror to trace one of her fingers down her cheeks - she didn't know what she aimed to achieve, but she was relieved when she felt her skin beneath her fingertips.

 _She was real._

She quickly spun around, both hands clutching at the top of the sheet by her torso, her eyes wide as she took more care in studying the place. This area was a lot larger than the room she had woken up in - white tiles lined the opposite wall and steel drop-down lockers had been installed within the wall's cavities.

She didn't wish to know what was kept in those metal drawers - considering each one had a combination lock _and_ an air-tight latch, she could only _imagine._

Towards the farthest end of the room, there were some heavy-duty filing cabinets, each one labelled with a handwritten note which was cased inside thick glass. Her curious feet were already taking her closer, though her eyes were trailing to a desk directly next to the cabinets - papers littered the surface, and it was clear they were covering a raided folder.

She frowned and stiffly crouched down to her feet, collecting some of the scattered paperwork from the floor into a neat pile in her hands. As she stood up straight, she flicked through a few sheets - she didn't notice anything interesting, or anything _comprehensible..._ there seemed to be a lot of scientific-looking jargon.

It wasn't long however, until she found one that sparked her interest.

At first, she was a little _shocked_ at seeing a photograph of herself - especially considering she appeared to be asleep... _or dead._ She was taken aback that the picture appeared to be in _colour_ too - it reminded her of looking into a mirror, never had she seen a photograph so _vibrant_ before. Taking her attention away from the eerily fascinating picture of herself, she started to skim-read the font beside it.

It was some kind of strange _profile_ on her. It had dates like when she was born, and more worryingly... _when she had died._ As she continued to read on, her eyes widened with intrigue - there was a brief paragraph on her life as a child, including her relationships with her family - which hadn't been all that good, given that all the decent members had died whilst she was a young girl. What made her even more frantically worried was that it then listed her later life... _and most importantly,_ seemed to focus on how she took advantage of other people's misfortune to fulfil her own desires in life.

The way it was written was almost like she was reading some kind of _encyclopedia,_ rather than an obituary or incident report.

She was itching to read more, but once she laid her eyes on Sweeney Todd's name, she disregarded the paragraph's existence altogether, not daring to remind herself of the events that had occurred on Fleet Street. Her heart was desperate to claw its way out of her chest - she had a sudden feeling of foreboding now that she'd found this file all about herself. Who had written it? Who knew so much about her? _How could they know so much?_

She flicked the paper over loudly, scanning the rest of its contents in quiet anxiety. Her focus had been twisted slightly now and only the odd word was registering in her brain.

 _Calm, collected, highly intelligent, highly delusional, obsessive, sentimental, an adept liar, a distinct puppet master..._

 _Puppet master?_ Now her attention had been caught.

 _'Eleanor Lovett appears to be an avid_ puppet master. _Once she sensed vulnerability in the barber, she had sense to use it in order to receive what she'd always wished for: his presence, his time and his attention. She was also aware that his vengeance-fuelled murders could aid her economic situation, only adding to her happiness further. She knew she could only tempt the barber if she pushed the correct buttons, and didn't think anything of doing so - even if that meant catering to his deranged insanity._

 _Her plans, in theory, should have_ succeeded _.'_

Her glazed-over eyes paused over the last sentence as a tear trickled down her cheek, her eyebrows knitting together sadly - although what she read hurt her deeply... she couldn't deny that the truth was before her very eyes. She hastily moved her eyes to glance at the footnote at the bottom of the page.

 _Page 2 of 3_

She partially scrunched the paper up as she quickly scrambled through the rest of the pile of paperwork which she was holding onto. She was growing desperate to find that next page that was inevitably infiltrating into her entire life. _Anything_ could have been written next - she was willing to bet that it was something that probably told her about wherever she was.

 _That's why it was such a frightening shock when she never found it._

She began to suck in sharp breaths, turning the piece of paper over again and again, brown eyes frantic with concern. She threw her infernal profile in panic, and in doing so, all of the papers she'd picked up were now once again strewn across the tiled floor.

Now surrounded by a shower of paperwork, she nervously darted her eyes over the floor, double checking if the page she was desperate to find was there. As luck would have it, one of the papers had fallen face up, and that immediately caught her attention.

She bent forward on her tip-toes, snatching it up as quick as she could. She frowned in confusion... since it appeared to be _handwritten._ The black writing was scrawled, like whoever had written it was in some kind of _rush_ at the time they'd had a pen in their hand.

 _" 'Things to know'..."_ she read in a murmur, eyes narrowing as she attempted to make sense of such words. For some reason, she felt like _she_ was the intended recipient. It was a brief list of _bizarre_ things - which included the names and occupations of important and influential people in the public eye, explanations into modern technology and recent laws, and rather surprisingly... there was a small diagram that appeared to act as a _treasure map._

In fact, she was _sure_ that the messy drawing was the floor-plan of the lab she was in right now. She swallowed down the urge to gasp, and turned around to face the centre of the room, rotating the mini-map accordingly.

It wasn't long before she matched each wall to one of the slanted lines drawn on the paper... it was _uncanny._ And as luck would have it...

 _The mysterious map also showed her that there was a door._

* * *

 **A/N Thanks for reading! I know these chapters are shorter than I usually write, but I didn't feel that they needed heaps of words. The next few chapters will likely be up in the next few days. I'm actually really enjoying writing this seeing as it's a little different. Hope you're enjoying so far, I know this is a little slow... and _weird._ Would love to know your thoughts. Thanks for bearing with me, expect another chapter shortly :)**


	3. Her Sworn Enemy

**02|Her Sworn Enemy**

 _ **2017**_

It was the height of summer in the city of Angels, and Eleanor Lovett had been amazed by the experiences she'd had just by _setting foot_ on American ground. It was like a completely different world to her, and she was more than a little excited when she'd found out that her occupation deemed that she was to stay there for a few months.

She _loathed_ the thought of working because it was always a messy yet thankless few hours. The only advantage to her after-life's purpose so far, was that it was undeniably _exhilarating -_ yet _s_ he still craved a quiet life with a family to call her own. Her dreams hadn't altered all too much - except she focused on what _she_ wanted now, she _deserved_ to be her own priority after the _hell_ that she'd been through.

Given the strange circumstances, she'd adapted to the modern ways of the world rather _comfortably_ already.

It had been a year since she'd woken up in that dank morgue - which it turned out, had been completely _vacant,_ aside from herself, of course.

She had completely settled into living a _catastrophically_ better life - certain things had shocked her, like the fact there was _clean_ running water, and rooms lit up without a single gas-lamp in sight. It was safe to say that she'd accepted the enormous changes around her, and embraced them, rather than shunned them... she wasn't afraid of change.

One thing she knew she could _never_ replace however, was the feel of a good hard-back book in her hands.

Reclining on a sun-lounger - _ironically in the most shaded place next to the poolside_ \- with a pair of rounded sunglasses across her eyes, she finally found herself at ease - she was managing to forget about her troubles for a little while. Even then, her head was lost in a novel between her palms, despite the fact that her surroundings were beautifully serene - children splashed about as they played in the hotel's pool, guests laughed and joked by the bar across from her, and the weather delicately warmed her skin.

Eleanor hadn't spoken or socialised much with any of the other guests. She decided that the less people she had to talk to, the less she had to worry about not understanding something about the modern world - something _obscure_ was always likely to come up in conversation, and she didn't want the hassle of confusion.

That being said, she had read up on a hell of a lot history. Since 170 years was quite a long time to go without knowing anything, she'd thought that she'd better find out a bit about how the world had to come to be what it was. She'd researched back to the early 70s so far - so it was no wonder that she shied away from any conversation where anything that had happened _prior_ emerged.

Eleanor shifted into a more comfortable position, attempting to keep her mind on the book she was reading - she was dying to keep herself distracted for the time being.

Her face was difficult to read because of the black frames hiding away her eyes, but she preferred it that way. Her actual style hadn't really differed from when she had been alive prior - she wore a navy and white striped bathing suit, which had an attached skirt of the same material covering her legs down to the skin above her knees. Her auburn hair had been pulled up into a purposely messy mass of pins and stray knots.

She pulled off the look _effortlessly._

Any stranger probably thought she looked rather _eccentric_ with her fascinating choice of fashion - but naturally, she didn't think anything of it. She'd died and had been supernaturally _resurrected_ \- she had bigger problems to worry about than what a member of the public thought about her.

After spending a few weeks at the same hotel, she was used to the way that so many people kept to themselves like she did. It was rare that anyone caught her attention, let alone her genuine _interest._

But as noon became early afternoon, the approach of a person along the poolside caused her concentration to dip slightly. At first she didn't move, she just continued to pretend that she was reading - she was internally _amazed_ that someone had managed to catch her eye. She wondered what it was that had peaked her curiosity.

She felt her heart thumping anxiously as they chose to occupy the sun lounger directly to the right of her - another person who favoured the _shade_ over the _sun,_ apparently.

Even though she was now sneaking a glance at him in her peripheral vision, she could tell he was _undeniably_ attractive. She could sense that they were utterly oblivious to her because they stretched up their arms, tensing their toned torso muscles.

She swallowed but couldn't quite move her eyes away from them. She dipped her head down some more, bringing her open book up to shield her face - all of her stealth was in order to get a proper look at the man, of course.

She actually had to bite down on her bottom lip to stop a loud moan of surprise escaping her, her hands were suddenly coated in perspiration - she clawed her nails into the covers of her novel, not wishing to attract the stranger's eyes...

 _Eyes which she didn't even know the colour of just yet._

Now daringly turning her head to face the man fully, her breathing began to escalate at the sight of him, she was sure that it wouldn't be long until they heard her short gasps.

Currently being in the middle of Summer, and surrounded by tanned pool-dwellers, she was shocked to see how deathly _pale_ their skin was.

 _'We already 'ave summin' in common, wot are the chances'a that?! That's always a good sign, ain't it? S'always summin' I could_ approach _'im about.'_ she thought to herself with a little smile of contemplation - it soon fell however, when she reminded herself of why she was actually there. Being surrounded by the beautiful weather, not to mention, a _fun-filled_ city of activities, it was no wonder that she kept on forgetting that her presence there was for _business_ rather than _pleasure._

Even so, that fact didn't stop her from ogling the man who was lounging to her right.

As her eyes begrudgingly tore away from the defined muscles of their stomach, she found them trailing up one of their bare arms - though, even in the flesh, it couldn't exactly be described as _bare_ given that it was decorated in morbid ink-work.

From his tattoos alone, she was suddenly even more fascinated. She wanted to study them closely because she couldn't quite make out the finer details seeing as there was a small distance between them.

When her gaze raised further, her teeth sunk into her bottom lip more harshly, so much so, that she was certain she'd likely drawn blood.

His hair was black and she was sure it must have been _asymmetrical,_ because he had short strands tucked behind his ear but she could see that it was longer towards the nape of his neck. It was certainly a hairstyle that made a statement.

What disappointed her, however, was that he too was wearing _sunglasses_ \- the lenses were black to match his miserable aesthetic and the frames were square, though the edges were softly curved. Her curiosity peaked as she imagined the full view of their face - naturally, it was hard to do so given that she'd only seen the man's profile from the side.

She briefly noted that he too, had his line of sight focused on a hard-back novel - _yet another thing they had in common._ She was curious what it was that he was reading, but she couldn't bring herself to take her eyes away from him.

He shuffled slightly, his expression unreadable as he slowly turned a page. He then let out a exasperated huff, tilting his head to the side to shoot his gaze over the bustling pool - it was like he was expecting to see someone, but the person he was looking for wasn't there.

And that's when she saw the _white streak,_ slitting through the void-like black of his hair.

If her eyes hadn't been wide before, they certainly _were_ now. Her heart punched against the restraints of her rib-cage, her chest heaving as she attempted to exhale her nervousness.

It was _unlikely._

It _wasn't._

It _couldn't be._

She had to be away with the _fairies._

There was no _way_ that the man who had settled himself on the sun lounger next to her was the Victorian barber she'd slaved herself away for all of those years ago. No _way,_ could the able-bodied man be... _him._

 _'Per'aps 'e's just a fan of the Damned or summin'? After all... that infernal man's not the only one to 'ave a streak in 'is 'air, 'specially nowadays.'_ she thought as she subtly studied him behind the opaque lenses of her circular sunglasses, silently thankful that her shocked eyes were obscured from view. She was optimistically _praying_ that it wasn't who she thought it was.

Despite herself, she couldn't help a pleasant wave of heat rippling through her. She loathed herself for feeling such warmth because of him, but she couldn't deny how much the damn man still caused her cheeks to flush pink.

The fact he was still oblivious to her presence made her slightly annoyed for some reason - if it _was_ indeed _Sweeney Todd,_ then of course she'd be _annoyed._ The woman had every _right_ to be, seeing as he'd _killed_ her. It was funny how she could recall the feeling of being under his scrutinising eyes as he'd peered at her through the window-slit of the oven...

She'd never forget that menacing look of betrayal he'd given her. Even then, it caused her to shiver.

Her body jolted a little due to her shivering nerves and apparently, her shaky discomfort had been enough to attract the man's attention... to which Eleanor gawped in dread.

There was a brief moment of silence. Which was either because he _wasn't_ who she thought he was, or he was completely delayed with his reaction...

 _Strangely,_ it was the latter.

He uncomfortably sat up straight in a frantic manner, his book sliding off his lap to _thwack_ against the floor. He pinched the arm of his glasses between his thumb and index finger, flinging them away from his eyes so that they were now revealed to her.

They were wide and as dark as she recalled them being, still densely rimmed with shadowy circles of insomnia.

The two of them practically gasped at one another in unison, their bodies tensing as their minds were rife with maddening uneasiness. An abhorrent silence returned between the two of them, not that there had been much interaction to begin with, but that didn't stop the icy atmosphere evolving.

"Don't you _dare_ think about speakin' t'me, _Sweeney Todd."_ she warned dangerously in a subdued hiss, turning her head away from him as she internally scorched herself - how could she have let herself get _distracted?_ Whenever she did, she always immediately regretted it. In this instance, it couldn't have been any _worse..._ she'd been _leering_ at her _murderer_ for god's sake! How the _hell_ had he managed to find her?!

"What are _you_ doin' _'ere?!"_ Sweeney shot back at her in arrogant dismissal, his voice as brash and sharp as ever. She knew that he was irritated because she recognised that unrelenting tone of his _far_ too well... yet, she sensed something off about him.

"I'll 'ave ya know, _I_ were 'ere _first,_ so don't go _complainin'_ \- oh _lord,_ wot on _Earth_ 'ave you done to your 'ead of 'air? Looks like you're tryna join the Human League or summin'."

He shot her threatening daggers, but naturally, she returned her shaded eyes to the book in her palms, not even bothering to acknowledge her murderer's silent, yet _infuriated_ reaction. In all honesty, she thought he _suited_ the edgy appearance, and she couldn't deny that she'd originally thought he was _to die for_ before she'd found out that it was _him._

However, his handsomeness hadn't stopped her from bickering childishly.

 _"Well!_ You look - " He paused mid-sentence, narrowing his eyes as he looked her over, attempting to find some petty _flaw_ to point out about her. " - exactly the _same,_ actually."

She chuckled quietly, wearing a smug little smirk. She knew her expression would only roil him up even more, and her amusement spread wider.

"Not bad fer a gal who were pushed in an oven, _eh?"_ she mocked, still focused on her book, though she saw him visibly freeze in her peripheral vision. He was gritting his teeth, crossing his arms over like he was holding himself up in order to sit straighter.

"Look... " he began, talking through clenched teeth, still so obviously _irritated_ by her presence. "I... "

He let out a grumble instead of carrying on with what he'd attempted to phrase. He wore a stubborn pout but his near-black eyes shined with such obvious guilt. His features didn't dare to give anything away, but he could never manage to disguise his eyes.

"I didn't think that we'd end up like _this."_ he finally blurted out, sighing afterwards like he was relieved that he'd finally managed to speak the words he'd been desperate to say.

She narrowed her eyes and swung her head around over-dramatically to face him. From the sulk that she wore, he could tell he was about to get a mouthful from her.

 _"Oh_ so ya thought that by _killin' me_ , ya were gonna solve all'a ya problems. _Is that it?!"_ she squawked hoarsely, her hands loudly slamming her book shut. Some of the other guests had heard her aggressive tone and had started to give them quizzical glances, none of them _dared_ to intervene.

 _"Of course not!"_ Sweeney spat at her, leaning across the gap towards her with a defensive scowl - she lashed out in response, pushing one of her palms against his bare shoulder in an attempt to shove him away from her."I was _confused,_ woman! Wot was I _meant_ to think?! You didn't tell me that my wife was _alive_ for god's sake!I could've seen to 'er, seen that she'd gotten the 'elp she needed so we could - "

"Ya couldn't've _'elped_ 'er!" she chuckled out remorselessly, wearing a half smile, half grimace - she despised the mere _notion_ of Lucy Barker even more than she had done when she'd been alive in 1846. "Ya kiddin' y'self, she were gone _long_ 'fore you came back to Fleet Street that day, dear. I were only doin' wot were best for ya."

"Wot was _best_ for me?! Who were _you_ to dictate _my_ life, Mrs Lovett?" he snapped, seizing hold of her wrist to throw it off him. She pressed her lips into a stern line and rubbed where his fierce grip had left a slight mark on her skin. She then opened her book again, glancing down at it like she was bored with the conversation.

"Well ya seemed to kill 'alf'a London, and that certainly weren't _your_ idea, was it?" she quipped, seemingly _fearless_ now that she was aware that she couldn't exactly die _twice_ by his hand. "An' it's _Miss_ Lovett now, _actually._ 'Ad it changed, comes across much more classy, doncha think?"

He growled out in rage, his hands balled into fists as he darted towards her from his sitting position, causing his sun lounger to topple precariously under his weight.

She gasped, instantly turning her attention to him.

He snatched her book away from her and carelessly tossed it behind him, breathing out harshly as his hands balled into fists by his sides.

Before either of them could spout off at the other, a man dressed in a smart outfit - _a tucked in shirt with tight fitting trousers and flip-flops_ \- approached them both with an unimpressed expression on his face. His light brown hair looked almost _plastic_ from the amount of gel he'd worked into it. His slicked back hairstyle made it hard for them to take him seriously before he even came to a stop in front of the two of them.

The man's hazel eyes flicked between them both as he crossed his arms over - he really looked disappointed, but the two of them couldn't have cared less.

"Look here, you two." he finally spoke, his accent was so stereo-typically American that it caused them both to frown in bewilderment. "I'm afraid that I'm gonna have to make you both call it quits before this lil' argument of yours gets outta hand. I don't care what _video game_ you've been playing, or who killed who, I'm gonna have to ask you to shut up or leave the pool area. 'Kay?"

They both glared at the man like he'd just crashed landed in a spacecraft from Mars. There was a quiet hush around the pool now as the guests peered at the scene in nosy interest.

The man expected them to react but when neither them did, he smiled broadly. He then strutted away with his hands on hips like he suddenly felt _authoritative_ and that was what pushed both Eleanor and Sweeney over the edge...

The two of them burst out into an uncontrollable fit of _laughter_ \- while Sweeney's was reluctant and quiet, Eleanor's giggling was loud and soulfully humour-filled. They were both receiving concerned glances from the other guests by the poolside - they probably thought that they were both _drunk..._ either that, or _absolutely mental._ Naturally, such attention only spurred on their amusement further.

As she continued to giggle, he took the liberty of fetching her book, bending down without taking his eyes away from her. Reluctantly, he handed her novel back to her, to which her laughter faded to a mere smile on her lips... she gently took it from his grasp, stunned when she realised that it was still open on the same page she'd been on before.

"Look... _Miss Lovett... "_ he said hoarsely, he couldn't resist smirking when he said it - he sat back down so that she knew he was at least a little calmer now. "I'm... "

The sudden change in atmosphere between them was _drastic._ He was quite surprised when she raised a brow at him, brown eyes peering over the rims of her glasses as she expectantly awaited the sound of his voice.

"I... didn't think it through." he admitted in a stubborn tone, wearing a deep frown which she thought made him appear almost _regretful._ "I've never 'ad remorse for anyone before... well, 'part from Lucy... "

The way he'd whispered his late wife's name so softly made her _ridiculously_ envious. Nevertheless, she shook the feeling away. She wasn't the same Nellie Lovett now. She'd been stupidly obsessed with him in her previous life, so there was no need for her repeating any mistakes. The _outcome_ of her doting on him so compulsively had told her that much...

But Nellie being Nellie, she couldn't resist hearing what he had to say.

She pulled down her string bookmark and closed her book, rolling onto her side to face him more comfortably. She didn't want to seem eager, but it was obvious to him that she was desperate to know what he wished to tell her.

"Wot you tryna say, love?" she asked airily, knitting her eyebrows in poorly hidden worry. Her tone alone had quietly stunned him. After so much hostility between the two of them, it was strange to hear such care in her voice. The sound of her soft question had only brought back memories of slit throats and greasy meat pies, blood-stained floorboards and slippery stairs... _stairs that had worn away from the countless times his accomplice had traipsed down them._

"I overreacted." he spoke vacantly, like what he was saying was scripted - he couldn't bring himself to voice his apology, somewhere deep down inside, he was still burning with annoyance for her. "I overreacted, and I shouldn't 'ave done what I did."

At first, he was saying what she wanted to hear just so she couldn't complain. But as he awaited her reaction, he did find himself actually accepting the words he'd uttered - all of it was true, he couldn't deny it.

A smile played on her lips and she brought up her hand to her chin in order to rest it in her palm. Her glasses slid off the bridge of her nose a little, revealing her deep brown orbs. He lifted his head up, a little more confident considering that she wasn't screeching all the curses she knew at him.

He blatantly studied her before they could speak again, and he could only swallow in apprehension. _Had she always been that attractive?_ The way she was currently back-lit by the summer sun caused her to appear like a pleasant hallucination to him. Perhaps he _was_ imagining her? He wouldn't have put it past himself to do such a thing, he wasn't exactly _free_ of his madness. Even though his vengeance had been completed all those years ago, his insanity had apparently decided to become a permanent resident.

In that moment, his feelings and thoughts merged into one. He started to ponder whether she'd remembered how they'd escaped their fates to end up in a completely different era. _Perhaps she did._ Perhaps she'd experienced and witnessed the exact same things that _he_ had. He decided that he _had_ to find out.

"Plannin' on goin' _swimmin'_ were ya?" Eleanor suddenly asked, causing him to blink back to reality and slowly relax back onto the sun lounger. She was studying the black board-shorts he was wearing, holding back her giggles of amusement.

 _"Hm?"_

Apparently he wasn't _quite_ back in reality just yet. In fact, it wasn't clear what was on his mind given that he was staring directly at her, his black eyes unreadable.

She rolled her eyes, a frown gracing her brow.

"I'm borin' ya like I used to do. Wot did I expect? I shouldn't be calmly talkin' to ya, but 'ere I am. Thought you'd at least be _listenin'_ seein' as I'm not poundin' ya silly."

His eyes widened at her and it was suddenly clear that her words had caught his attention, his mouth slowly opening into a small gape of surprise. It was then that her cheeks flushed a light pink when she realised what she'd just recklessly spewed out of her mouth.

"Didn't mean fer it to come out like that." she whispered quickly, suddenly glad that her faltering eyes were hidden from his dark, desirable ones.

 _God, he could still melt her with his_ stare _alone._

"I know." he responded emptily, though it had been an obvious attempt at reassurance.

There was a brief silence where they just stared at each other, too amazed that the other was there with them. It had been so long since that night in London, and it was clear from the slight sadness in their eyes that they still had unspoken regrets to reveal to one another.

" 'Ow 'bout we go someplace quiet an' talk?" Eleanor suddenly said softly, apparently speaking before she'd double-checked with her conscience because she wore an unsure expression - yet it was too late to change her mind now. "If people end up listenin' in they're gonna think 'at we're round the twist. An' I certainly don't fancy that bugger comin' over 'ere and tellin' us off again."

Sweeney smirked and nodded, "I thought you'd never ask."


	4. Her Precocious Lover

**04| Her Precocious Lover**

There was something _unnerving_ about the corridors of the hotel. They snaked around so much that it caused her to feel a little dizzy, and the neutral grey colours of the walls certainly weren't easing her discomfort.

Unfortunately, Eleanor had already been press-ganged into watching _The Shining -_ so she would have been telling a lie if she said she wasn't having disorientating flashbacks.

It was the geometric pattern of the floor beneath her flip-flips that had reminded her of the uncomfortable film. When she'd watched it, it had _depressed_ her more than anything - she knew all too well how isolation could send someone stark raving _mad._

As soon as she pondered over that thought, her eyes focused on the man in front of her, who was leading the way towards his hotel room. It felt like they'd been walking through the corridors for ages, but it had only been two minutes at _most._

Sweeney hadn't uttered a word since they'd abandoned their sun loungers, and she was beginning to grow concerned. The situation was more than awkward and she didn't really know what to expect of their next conversation.

They could end up _dismembering_ one another for all she knew. Not that doing such a thing would make either of them feel _better._

Lost in her own worried thoughts, she failed to notice that he'd come to a stop in front of her. She gasped as she bumped into the back of him - to which he sent her a disapproving glance. She muttered a quiet apology and swallowed as he swiftly turned his attention away from her.

She nervously tensed herself, watching him hurriedly unlock his room's door. She didn't know why she felt so _apprehensive_ all of a sudden, but it was probably because she didn't trust him like she used to. He could have been planning on tricking her in some way, she really wouldn't have put it past him.

He practically barged into the door once it was unlocked and she cautiously followed him inside, hiding her shock when he pushed his hand to the door in order to stop it shutting on her. She eyed him with suspicion as she sidled past him, hugging her arms around her shoulders like she was attempting to comfort herself.

She stood awkwardly in the centre of the place, jumping a little when the door closed with a firm _click._

The room was completely _immaculate._ Her eyes trailed over pristine white surfaces and stainless bed throws. She was suddenly grateful that she had her sunglasses on, the clean gleam of the place would have probably _blinded_ her.

" 'S good job that we didn't go t'my room. I feel a right _pig_ after seein' yours. I've got clothes'n cases everywhere." she said with a nervous chuckle, her gaze filled with wonder as she looked over the spotless room.

"Why does that not surprise me?" he replied with a knowing glint in his eyes as he turned himself around to face her.

She narrowed her eyes, like she'd taken offense to what he'd said. He was already treading on thin ice so she was a little confused about why he thought that _joking around_ would make the situation better.

"You 'ave a lot on your mind. Too much to comprehend." he added quickly, like he was attempting to save their conversation before he destroyed his chances of redeeming himself. "It's no wonder you're even more careless than you used to be."

Her stubborn wall of defense crumbled weakly, and she used her hands to remove her sunglasses from her eyes in a pincer movement. His gaze was instantly drawn to her brown eyes and she couldn't quite suppress her deep breaths of frustrated amazement.

 _He'd never acknowledged her so blatantly before._

"I don't want to argue with you, Eleanor." he admitted in a defeated tone, slowly perching himself down on the edge of the bed.

She was silent but took a few cautious steps closer, wincing tensely as she waited for whatever else he had to say.

"We're some of the most infamous criminals in history, and look at us. We've been fightin' like... _children."_ he said hoarsely, his black eyes giving away just how disappointed he was.

 _"Wot?!_ Wot do you mean?" she exclaimed in confused horror, and he swallowed - he was shocked that she wasn't aware of how _famous_ their story had truly become. He'd have to tell her at some point, but now was really not the time.

"Forget what I said." he said firmly, bringing a hand up to his head so that he could grip a few locks of black hair in an attempt to snap himself out of his frustration. "I just... don't want us to be enemies."

"Oh, I'm _sorry._ Wot did'ja expect? Me to jus' stand there all _gormless-like_ an' tell ya everythin' was alright? You _murdered_ me, Mr T!" her voice shrieked, though it trembled on the last sentence. The hurt in her eyes made him frown at her, with such obvious _shame._

His gaze fell to the hotel room's floor.

"Of course not. It's just... you're the only other person that's been through what I have." he murmured emptily, still staring down at his black boat shoes like they were the most interesting thing in the world.

Her eyes initially faltered as soon as she realised what he was referring to. Yet she couldn't help shooting him a look of cold skepticism.

"Y'didn't _really_ bring me all the way up 'ere to talk 'bout our morbid _experiences,_ did ya?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in quiet challenge and curiosity.

 _"Wot?_ Wot sort of question is that? _Of course_ I did." he near growled, with a smidgen of defiance in his brash voice. What was she trying to say? Did she even know him _at all?!_

"C'mon, love. Y'not foolin' anyone." she whispered, knitting her eyebrows together sadly.

He frowned, darkly challenging her with his lively eyes.

 _"I don't know what you mean."_

She took a few steps closer with her brows raised and her chestnut eyes were swimming with stubborn disbelief. He was apparently _insulted_ with what she was insinuating because his guilt-bearing irises turned coarse and stern.

" 'Ow could you even _think_ that?!" he questioned firmly, thoroughly annoyed as she continued to advance towards him slowly. "The last thing I would ever want to do is take adva - "

Eleanor narrowed her eyes and roughly pushed him backwards with the heels of her palms. He fell face-up over the bed-covers before he could even attempt to finish what he'd been saying, his breaths puffed out of him as an expression of surprise plastered over his face. The sight of his bare chest heaving with unexpected anticipation caused her annoyance to vanish, and instead, it was like her mind had been taken over completely... she was utterly _hypnotised._

She had no idea what had caused her to lash out at him like that, but...

 _She'd rather liked seeing that look of surprise wash over him._

He felt the warm skin of her knees brush against his shins as she stood as close to him as she could, peering down at him with a victorious smirk.

He set his jaw and then frowned up at her venomously, reaching his arms up. He seized hold of the sides of her waist to which she let out a yelp, then forcefully pulled her down onto the mattress next to him. What did she think she was _playing at?_ If she was going to be _physical,_ then so was he.

He growled and pinned her wrists to the white covers, glowering at her with tenacious irritation. He loomed over her on all fours, trapping her in place as he unintentionally nuzzled her nose, his teeth still clenched into a mute snarl.

He'd had no idea how much rage had laid dormant within him - the presence of Eleanor Lovett caused his veins to surge with adamant hatred. And in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to snap that curvy little neck of hers...

Recognising the deathly glint in his eyes as he restrained her wrists with his unrelenting claws, she thrashed herself about and exhaled huffs of frustration. He growled impatiently as her violent movements started to loosen his hold on her, and she soon spewed out vulgar curses at him, attempting to wind him up some more.

The angrier he was, the more it blinded him.

Her legs kicked against him as her voice battered him with crudely crafted bullets. Despite her hostility, and the fact she was panicking, she couldn't help noticing how _alluring_ he was. A few strands of black hair had fallen to side of his face, framing his seething eyes. His jaw was tensed which only accentuated the strong shape of his jawline. Her wide eyes were then drawn towards his tightly closed lips, lips she'd once fantasised about touching...

He appeared to be _thoroughly_ deranged, but ever so _attractive_ at the same time.

She tried to push the feel of his body pressing into hers out of her mind... but she couldn't quite ignore how strangely pleasant it was.

He soon grew tired of her making it increasingly difficult to keep her still, and he let out an incomprehensible growl of pure resentment.

Before she could register what was happening, his face completely obscured hers...

His lips crashed into her mouth like he had easily succumbed to an extravagent whim - his actions were _certainly_ out of utter _desperation._ Her lashes faded into what seemed like a distant memory as he continued to kiss her intensely, whether she was reacting to him or not. She laid motionless underneath his body for a moment, her eyes fighting to stay open... yet it wasn't long until they feebly surrended, and she was soon lost in the feeling of him firmly attacking her lips.

She'd waited _far_ too long to experience this.

Yet there it finally was. It was overwhelming, voluptuous and _violent_ \- and exceedingly more exciting than she had ever dreamed.

Was it _really_ what she wanted? This man had _killed_ her, _murdered_ her because she'd told him a petty _white lie..._

 _'Yes.'_ she thought to herself, finally submitting to him by kissing him back with fervent _passion_ and vicious frustration - it was clear to him that she craved him _completely._

His hands released some of the pressure he had around her wrists, but only so he could pull her arms above her head. Now that her position had changed slightly, his kisses became more eager and daring, causing her to moan into his mouth.

Already his fingertips stroked down the inside of her arms, only stopping once they could brush over the skin of her cleavage.

Their lips parted for a moment and they gasped out over each others mouths, their eyes still hidden due to their ever-growing lust for each other.

" 'S good that I'm dressed like 'is, love." she breathed teasingly against his lips, and he inhaled sharply because he could feel every syllable that she uttered. "Means you've got less work to do 'fore you fu - "

He growled before desperately smothering her mouth to cut her off. They both moaned as his eager fingers hooked around one of the straps across her shoulders, shakily tugging it down - it was scarcely down her forearm before he started on the other one.

Before she knew what was happening, his hand moved to the front of her swimsuit, clutching the soft material in one of his clenched fists. She whimpered in pleasant anticipation as she felt him drag the layer of clothing across her skin. Their mouths parted for a second when she felt the material hang onto her shins, to which she hurriedly kicked it off.

She could sense his black eyes studying her form in fascination, and her eyes flashed open. To her surprise, he wasn't ogling her at all - he was gazing back at her, his nose rubbing against hers. She breathed out sharply when she felt his bare legs moving against her own, and then the smooth scraping of fabric followed.

He didn't take his eyes away from hers as his legs slipped out of his board-shorts completely. His body was pulsing with want for her, and he knew she could sense how much he desired her.

Before they rushed into what they desperately _yearned_ to do, their mouths pushed together again, his hands already firmly stroking up the sides of her bare form. She was pleasantly surprised how delicate he was with his callous hands, and she was soon leading their mouths into something deeper and more heated.

Once their pleasure was audible through their muffled groans, he wasted no time in thrusting himself inside her - which was _more_ than unexpected to her. He hadn't even glanced down to view the sight of her yet...

The fact he hadn't needed the visible stimulation of her, sent her into a pleasant bliss already.

From that moment on, her head was reeling in a state of over-due pleasure. She partially couldn't believe herself - she was _weak._ But... how was she to deny him? Now that their lips parted, and their noises of satisfaction groaned out without delay, she was suddenly _overjoyed_ that she had such a weak spot for him.

His actions soon sped up a little and he finally opened his eyes to look down at her. She certainly didn't regret opening her eyes too, because the way his eyes were wide told her that he must have been extremely surprised.

He suddenly paused, their noises fading.

"Move." he instructed hoarsely, gesturing towards the free space of bed next to them with his eyes.

She obeyed him instantly, but he was still buried inside her and he grunted harshly. He eventually took himself from her with a low moan to crawl over the rest of the bed. He didn't stop until he was able to sit up against the pile of pillows nearest the wall, dark eyes already daring her to approach him.

She bit her bottom lip as she clambered over the rumpled covers towards him. Her heart hammered in her ears when his arms reached towards her, like he was welcoming her to continue what they were doing.

Neither of them spoke as one of his hands grappled onto a clump of her auburn hair, tugging her towards him. She parted her lips in anticipation, and she was right to do so, because they were deeply kissing again before she knew it.

His free hand cupped around her backside, clutching at her skin like he was silently urging her to lead their actions. She felt her face glowing as she obediently lowered herself onto him. They groaned into their hungry kiss, already pushing their hips in time to one another. It wasn't long before they were gasping for air, however, too overloaded with lustful emotions.

He enjoyed her sitting on his lap - this way he could open his eyes and study what had been hidden from his view for such a long time. He didn't feel the need to cover up his fascination of her, he could see the appreciation in her brown eyes. She _adored_ him taking notice of her.

As his hand fell away from her head of auburn curls and metal pins to stroke over her torso, she grabbed a thick bunch of his hair, at least, from the side of his head that it was longest on. He groaned deeply as she continued to bounce over him and firmly massage her fingertips over his scalp. Her bright eyes were drawn to his hair as her actions caused it to get scruffier and scruffier - he could tell that she was still slightly intrigued by its new style... then again, perhaps it was just his white streak?

"I thought you said it was ridiculous." he gasped, humming as her hand fell to join the other so that she could cup around his jaw.

"You know - " she murmured between deep breaths. "I never said it were _bad_ on ya. I actually find it quite... "

He frowned up at her, realising she wasn't thinking of finishing her sentence anytime soon seeing as her breaths shortened. She didn't need to say anything else though, he could tell where she had been going.

Their actions soon grew more adventurous and powerful, so much so, that their desires were soon to be fulfilled completely. They never spoke again, too content with their grunts and groans to care about intelligible communication. Hands snatched at thick hair, fingertips glided across the tender flesh of an inner-thigh, lips briefly met lips, breaths were heavy with arousal...

Their gasps soon heightened and their grunts grew louder as their eyes flew open, and they stared at each other in what seemed like a euphoric epiphany.

The two of them groaned out loudly in completion, falling away from one another as they finally felt their bodies shiver with ecstasy... their pounding hearts reminding them what it meant to be _alive._

Now sprawled out flat with her back over the covers, Eleanor puffed out deep breaths of pure _elation._ She couldn't help wearing the giddy smile upon her lips, and as she cracked open her eyes, she swore she saw him smirking too. He was propped up against the cushions, still catching his breath too.

It was safe to say that his hair was lot more reminiscent of how it used to be, thanks to _her._ And for that reason alone, she could only sit up slightly and chuckle.

"Wot?" he asked in mock discomfort, wearing a puzzled frown yet his eyes were full of amusement.

She beamed a grin at him, then opened her mouth slightly to reply to him... but it was then that something small gleamed at her in her peripheral vision. Her mouth suddenly snapped shut and her happiness easily wore off as her eyes settled on a small white-gold wedding band. By the looks of it, it had been _discarded_ on the bed-side table.

 _"Fuck!"_ Sweeney quickly whispered as he followed the direction of her gaze. He actually seemed _panicked_ as he carelessly pushed the damn ring off the edge of the table. It densely bounced across the floor, rolling across the cold tiles to hit the skirting board at the opposite end of the room.

Eleanor felt _unbelievably_ ridiculous. If he'd set out to _humiliate_ her... he'd certainly been _successful._

"I-I... I better go."

 _"No... wait."_ he breathed, more to himself than her. He had a bewildered look about him as he sat up hurriedly against the mountain of feathery pillows behind him. He soon realised that she hadn't heard him and his eyes widened in concern.

 _"Wait!"_ he ordered firmly, trying not to raise his voice too much as he clenched his fist and punched it down into the thick mattress. It wasn't clear whether he was frustrated at her or _himself._

"Wot's the point'a waitin', I've never caught your eye without a reason before." she said in a small voice, but it was clear she was going to raise it soon - he could practically see her heart shattering within her shimmering eyes. "I'm _stupid_ for allowin' ya to take advantage. It's not _me_ that y'should be fuckin' senseless, it's ya bleedin' _fiancee!"_ She blushed at the words that were pouring out of her mouth, and he opened and closed his mouth, seemingly speechless now that he'd completely lost control of the situation.

Internally, Eleanor still loved what had just happened. It had been undeniably the single most exhilirating thing she'd done - spanning her life _and_ afterlife. Seeing him there in a state of confusion as the cogs worked inside that twisted head of his, it would have probably amused her given that they'd just slept together...

Had she not seen that ring, of course... she was no longer the bag of kisses and giggles she'd previously been.

When her attention swayed away from him to rest on her bathing suit (which was strewn across the floor tiles), she heard him audibly sigh out. Despite the fact she was now curious about what he was thinking, she reached her arm down towards her clothing...

 _"Let me take you to dinner."_ his voice suddenly blurted out. The phrase had obviously spilled out of him before his mind had chance to filter it, but that didn't stop her heart from pounding excitedly again.

"That's not a good idea, love." she replied tiredly in a quiet voice, keeping her gaze on her swimsuit... but her head was already turning to face him of its own accord. She couldn't stop herself from staring at the defined muscles of his chest, or the heartwrenching expression he had on his features as he confidently faced her rejection.

"It _is_ a good idea."

His words seemed to echo in her ears and due to his confident tone, she was _dying_ to challenge him. She didn't even have to acknowledge that anything had happened between them... in her eyes, it definitely _shouldn't_ have, considering the circumstances.

"It _ain't!_ All'a this was a _mistake._ You and me... we're not _anythin'._ You _killed_ me for god's sake! I shoulda just stayed away from you. And you shoulda done the same. You're _engaged,_ be 'appy."she shot back in an exasperated tone, yet he could see through her convincing performance - she was unmistakably _envious._

"I don't _like_ her, Eleanor. You do realise that?" he hissed with annoyance, black eyes narrowing like he found what she'd said to be _absurd._ "She's a complete nightmare. She's been desperate to try and take the next step. We haven't even - "

"I'm not _interested."_ she interrupted stubbornly, focusing back on her bathing suit as she bent over, snatching it from the floor as quick as she could.

"Oh _really?_ You're not interested that what we've just done is the most excitement I've had in 171 years?" he spat, which gained her attention. She sensed that his words were also a slight tease due to how he leaned forwards with a twitch of a smirk on his lips.

She should have been _furious_ with him, but she felt her heart staggering because of his words. He didn't look like he was lying - even though he was visibly miffed at her imcompetence, his eyes shone with honesty. Honesty that couldn't be faked.

Before she knew it, a playful giggle had escaped her, causing his annoyance to fall. He raised a brow at her, extending his arms to his sides in order to hold himself up - it was clear to her that he was pretending that he was about to faint from amazement. His actions only spurred on more of her laughter.

"Wot's gotten into you, bein' all honest-like?" she suddenly asked between chuckles, grazing her teeth over her bottom lip as she spoke. "An' don't remind me 'ow long it's been, think I'm gonna collapse dead if you do."

His eyes gleamed at her as a smirk finally smeared across his face, "Somehow I doubt that, pet."

She exhaled deeply when she watched his eyes boldly rake down her form, studying her in the nude like he'd never seen her before. His actions actually made her swallow nervously... she was slightly surprised that he still appeared to be interested in her in _that_ way.

And for that reason, she'd never felt so warm in all of her life.

 _"Please_ come to dinner with me." he suddenly insisted in a fairly loud whisper, his eyes still intricately trailing over her pale canvas of skin. It was likely that his mind was now clouded with _improper fantasies_... fantasies that she couldn't even _begin_ to imagine. She felt herself heating up even more and her breaths began to shorten - she felt _stupid_ for letting him do this to her.

"I-I don't think - "

"If you refuse, I might just 'ave to take you hostage." he butted in with a threatening tone to his husky voice, his intoxicated eyes finally resting upon her face.

Her lips parted into a silent gasp and her eyebrows knitted in worry, completing her look of comical uneasiness. She felt a wave of embarrassment suddenly wash over her when she finally remembered that she was still completely naked, and used the swimsuit she held in her hands to shield her body from his devious eyes. She blushed uncontrollably as she struggled to cover herself completely - there wasn't quite enough stripy material to hide herself from him.

Her actions only seemed to _draw_ his attention to her bare skin even more and she felt herself glowing redder, and redder.

"Oh... _go on,_ then." she finally gave in in feigned confidence, nearly shivering from how exposed she truly was to his scrutinising eyes. "But wot 'bout your bride t'be? Where is she in all'a this? I feel awful takin' you 'way from your intended."

His eyes were mischieviously glinting at her before he even opened his mouth to answer. And for some strange reason, she was suddenly very glad they'd just became one not too long ago.

"Don't _lie._ And don't worry about 'er, she won't catch on. She's not exactly... the _observant_ type."he teased, whispering every word that he exaggerated.

Before she could mask her honest emotions, a smirk crawled its way onto her plump lips. From this alone, she knew that she could no longer use any persuasive words to refuse his proposal - for he'd already seen the answer for himself.

"You ran outta bleedin' _money,_ 'ave ya?" she taunted instead, deciding that she'd most definitely lost to him this time.

"Sharp, as ever." he quipped, and she swore that he almost looked _proud_ of her for a second or two.

"Oh you're not bein' fair, though." she considered in her usual airy manner, allowing her hands to ease their grip on her swimsuit - apparently she'd forgotten about wanting to hide her body from him. "The poor girl doesn't deserve you spendin' all of 'er money w - "

"Whilst I'm fuckin' you right and proper." he finished. It was clear he was being completely honest because he didn't crack a smirk or even give any sign of amusement. His eyes were hard and hammering into her.

The fact he'd _meant_ every blunt syllable caused her to turn a shade of vibrant crimson. Eleanor Lovett had never felt so overwhelmed and embarrassed in the space of a few minutes. What was she even supposed to say back to him?!

 _"W-Well - "_

"All these years, and I've never seen you blush like that before." he breathed firmly, gazing at her lips like he was suddenly wishing that he was closer to her. She was secretly thankful that he'd cut her off before she'd made a fool of herself even more. Yet she couldn't deny how much she _hated_ how she loved his self-confidence.

"I-I ain't _blushin'!"_ she stuttered foolishly, eyes darting around the room like she couldn't decide where the best place to avoid his gaze was.

"S'pose that you're too flushed to make it to dinner then?"

She suddenly froze completely, and her eyes instantly flicked towards him. She couldn't _believe_ him. How had he got the nerve to tease her even more?

Apparently his conniving challenge was enough to blind her judgement.

"Oh, I'll _make it_ alright." she snapped, narrowing her eyes competitively."You just gimme a place an' a time, Mr T. Thinkin' you can make a fool outta me...

 _... you's got another thing comin'."_

* * *

 **A/N Thanks for reading. I'm really pushing the limits with this one and... I'm purposely deceiving you with this chapter and the next. Given the summary you're probably wondering how everything ties together... looks like you'll just have to wait and see ;) This will be my last update for a couple of days, but I'll be updating both on-going fics as soon as I'm able. Thank you for bearing with me, would love to know your thoughts, as always! :)**


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